Crucible Essay: John Proctor
John Proctor
In the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Salem, Massachusetts experiences a witchcraft epidemic. The play explores a variety of characters and their abiding or not abiding to Puritan ideals and virtues. After making a horrible mistake, John Proctor, husband to Elizabeth Proctor, devotes the rest of his life to proving his worthiness and Puritan ideals to himself, his wife, and the town of Salem.
John Proctor is seen as an upstanding, good man with honor and integrity. In Salem, he is seen for the most part as a hard worker and a law-abiding citizen. As the protagonist, he is seen as well-liked.
As a man from the upper class, he still experiences challenges. He is overcome with sexual desire for Abigail when she was working in the Proctor household. He becomes consumed with guilt after he betrayed Elizabeth through his committed sin of adultery and lechery. His shame and regret convinces Proctor to attempt at reconciling his marriage once Abigail is kicked out of the house. When Proctor sees Abigail for the first time since the affair, he tells her “never again” because he is so distraught from his mistake with her. Proctor’s purpose and motivation after the affair was dedicated to proving himself as a good man to Elizabeth, himself, and Salem. The town of Salem was unaware of the affair until he admitted to his sin in court. Up to this point, the village sees Proctor as an impressive man with honor and integrity. Another example of Proctor trying to prove himself is when he is asked to sign the petition. He cannot bring himself to do such a thing because he would feel as if he were signing away his soul. He has too much regret already, so this would only extend his shame. Proctor would like to hold onto the small self-respect and dignity that he still has after his mistake. Other than committing adultery and lechery, Proctor has flawed actions that show his drifting from Puritan ideals and virtues. When John Hale visits the Proctor household, it is shown that he has trouble remembering the Ten Commandments. Ironically, the commandment that he forgets is the one that he committed. Knowing the Ten Commandments is a big part of being a Puritan because they practice the Bible and read Scriptures every day. Hale also points out that Proctor has a low church attendance and that his last child had not yet been baptized. These are both examples of him drifting away from Puritan rituals. These little things and daily Puritan deeds show respect towards the Puritan life. John Proctor looks more like a witch than a Puritan to Hale because of his failure to follow simple Puritan actions and behavioral matters.
Convinced that he is a bad man, Proctor still tries to prove himself as a good Puritan and person. He attempts to reconcile with Elizabeth. When the tensions seem high between them, Proctor points out that he is trying his absolute best to resolve their issue of trust. He really is trying to make amends. Proctor has honest intentions and sincere desires, but his committing of sexual sin and lechery was flawed. In the court room, Proctor is consumed with more guilt because the town of Salem is not aware of the affair. He admits publically in court and embraces his sin, showing that Proctor is a good man. This embracement illustrates that John Proctor is aware of his mistake and he is ready to return to God, which exhibits his bravery and honesty. In the end, Elizabeth somewhat forgives her husband by telling him that he is a good man. Although he proves his worthiness to his wife, he still needs to prove his worthiness to himself. If he signed the petition, he would succumb to his own shame, guilt, and regret. By being hung, he gains self-respect and dignity but also a return to Puritan beliefs by admitting to his own mistake. Proctor dies a good man with honor and integrity because of the way that he owned up to his mistakes and tried to amend them.
-Stephanie Sandra